“Dissection Educational Videos” (DEVs) and their contribution in anatomy education: a students’ perspective

Purpose The suspension imposed on Universities due to COVID-19 pandemic impeded students’ educational opportunities. Alternative teaching modalities have been used. Substitution of dissection courses on cadavers was a great challenge. Present study investigates students’ view on the efficacy of the “online” pre-recorded “dissection educational videos” (DEVs) in assisting anatomy teaching, aiming to modernize the lectures and reinforce comprehension. Methods The adequacy of the “online” anatomy courses and a possible new teaching modality were evaluated by the 2nd year pre-graduate students, employing an online questionnaire. Results One hundred and ninety-six volunteer students participated. Before the pandemic, 78.1% of the students constantly attended the “auditorium-based” lectures and 73% used self-teaching tools (STTs) for a better understanding of anatomy. During pandemic, a slight lower frequency (76%) attended the “online” lectures and a higher frequency (84.2%) used at least one STT. Up to 59.2% of the students disagreed with the permanent replacement of the “auditorium-based” by the “online” lectures, while 62.8% supported the idea of parallel conduction of the lectures. Combined teaching tools were the most preferred resources. 83.2% of the students stated that the dissection labs’ cancellation negatively affected their education, and 75.5% supported the permanent addition of the pre-recorded DEV series in the lectures. Conclusions COVID-19 pandemic created the temporary need for pure remote education. During lockdown, the use of STTs has significantly increased. A novel teaching modality (DEV series), presented in the study, can be used both as educational material and as a STT

An anatomical study on metopic suture variants in Greek adult dried skulls

Background: The metopic suture (MS), at the vertical axis between the two halves of the frontal bone appears as the result of lack of ossification. Its persistence is called metopism. The current study records the frequency of MS persistence, its morphological variants, and its coexistence with Wormian bones (WBs) in adult skulls.Material – Method: Eighty (41 male and 39 female) Greek adult dried skulls were investigated for the MS presence. For a further MS evaluation, the skulls were divided into 3 groups: 1st group (MS absence), 2nd group (complete MS) and 3rd group (incomplete MS). The incomplete MS was classified into the following morphological variants: Y, V, U, H shapes and linear and double linear types. Skulls used were also inspected for the WBs presence.Results: The MS was identified in 69 skulls (86.25%). Its absence was found in 11 skulls (13.8%) with similar frequencies in males and in females. The incomplete MS was prevalent (78.8%), while the complete one (metopism) was recorded in 7.5%. The incomplete MS dominant type was the linear (26.3%) followed by the V-type (17.5%), the double linear (15%), the H-type (8.8%), the U-type (6.3%) and the Y-type (5%). A percentage of 20% of the skulls had WBs in the lambdoid suture. A unique trigonocephaly case was identified with WBs in the lambdoid suture.Conclusion: The knowledge of MS persistence is valuable in clinical practice, as it can be erroneously considered as a frontal bone fracture in imaging studies. Neurosurgeons are obliged to be aware of this variant to provide the patient with the most appropriate and safe care. Furthermore, metopism is important in paleo-demography and forensic medicine